Then I see you standing there
by Amancay
Summary: Detty:He went to the toilet to wash his suddenly red and sweated face, hoping that the water could also wash away the suddenly desire he had to kiss her. ---CHAPTER 11 IS UP!---
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Then I see you standing there...  
Disclaimer: Own Nothing!  
Author: FanSel (Sele77)  
Pairing: Daniel/Betty  
Genre : Drama/Romance  
A/N: NOT the sequel for The Hardest Word **

_Then I see you standing there_

There she was, staring through the window, it had been five hours since her dad passed away silently in the hospital room

She looked so vulnerable but yet so strong, had managed to keep her tears in her eyes since her dad arrived to the hospital, but in that moment in the _apparent_ loneliness of the room tears begun their bitter journey through her face .

He felt helpless, his friend was suffering but his mind couldn't form a single _coherent _sentence, so he just took her hand to show that he was a shoulder where she could rely on, and so she did, _literally _

Thats when it happened, she looked at him with her watery eyes, and he_ melted_, when she whispered " thank you...Daniel".

He rested his head in her forehead and while he said "its a pleasure..." he thought _seriously Daniel! You have nothing __**else **__to say?!._

But he remained silent, and so did she.

They stared at the window while rain started to fall _silently_ as Betty's tears.

After a while he spoke " come on..." he looked at her,tears where almost dry "...let me buy you something to eat..."

She replied, mechanically, "Im not hungry".

But her stomach disagreed as it made a strange noise while her face blushed _with all the_ _colors of the rainbow._

Making him tease her "of course you are not hungry, you are just..._starving_"

She couldn't prevent a little laugh to come out her mouth.

_Fair enough,_ he thought, as they walked through the room door, _still_ holding hands.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As they walked out the room, towards the coffeehouse, they spoted Hilda and Justin siting in the waiting room with Claire Meade who arrived as soon as she heard the news. When she saw Betty she stood up and went to say her condolences, give her son a _look _ when she saw his hand holding hers, so he released it instantly, blushed slightly and walked towards Hilda and Justin.

While Claire, who couldn't find the right words either, huged Betty. There was _more_ than condolences in that hug, something that Betty wasn't able to spot, but that felt like..._thankfulness?, what for? _She thought after Daniel's mother released her and grabbed her chick slightly, almost imperceptibly, before going to met his son and take him apart to give the mourning family some space.

Betty respected that, no that she didn't enjoy their presence, she did and _a lot. _I was just that she wasn't so eager about talking to her family about her father in front of them.

So she smiled to let them know that she appreciate the gesture, but when she looked at them, had the idea that they where about to have a mother-son talk.

An "ahem" shook her out her thoughts so she turned to talk to Hilda and Justin, who where watching the scene with a bitter amusement

dbdbdb

After a long talk, they decided to bury both of their parents in Mexico, because as Hilda remarked, thats where they came from.

But the Suarezes knew that if the idea reached their rich friends, they where going to insist on paying the plane tickets, and as much as they appreciate the gesture they just didn't feel right about it. Daniel already payed for plane tickets, _first class_ Betty remarked and not only to Mexico to her hole family, but also to _Rome _and a _five stars _hotel suit for Betty and her _ex_.

In conclusion there was no arguing about the Meades not to find out about their trip _after _they get the tickets.

So they decided to find another way to get them.

Minutes of brainstorming later, Betty remembered an advertisement she saw at the airport about getting _free _tickets if you where a regular traveler.

They split tasks, Betty was in charge of finding the tickets and asking about transporting out of the country their parents remainings, while Hilda and Justin started the paperwork.

They stood up an reached their friends, who where having an animated talk, the Suarezes where about to walk away and give them space when the Meades realized about their presence and shouted up,_ instantly._

The two families stayed silent for a while, then Betty spoke _"_erm_._..we have to do some paperwork... thanks for coming"

"That's what friends are for...right?" Daniel said looking at Betty and remembering when she said that to him but in that moment it felt..._different._

She smiled briefly as she remembered that too, but her face changed as he saw something _strange_ in his look. She was about to say something when her phone rang, so instead she said "excuse me" and walked away to answer it...it was Christina.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Before Betty could even say "hello", Christina said "Oh my god Betty! Are you Ok?, sorry for not being there for you, been filling kind of dizzy today!"

Betty noticed worry in her friend's voice and calm her down "yeah! I'm fine", too chipper to be true.

While she was opening her mouth to ask her pregnant friend about her dizziness, Christina said "oh! I think my water just broke!"

Betty remained shocked and after a few seconds managed to say "but you are due in two months, are you sure?!!" Too loud that her family and the Meades heard her voice, although they couldn't understand what she said.

"Of course Im sure!! Im the one who is pregnant here!!" said hormotional Christina.

"O...ok, erm...Daniel is here, you should talk to him...and call Wilelmina then..." Betty said while she walked towards her tall blue-eyed friend and handled the phone.

He looked rising his eyebrows, "Its Christina" answered Betty to the implicit question.

Daniel took the phone and walked away to talk to her _almost_ step_monster_ 's surrogate

As soon as he left, Betty felt two arms holding her from behind, she jumped surprised and then relaxed when she heard her roommate's typical voice "hey Betty!, sorry I didn't called, but Mr Grinch..."Betty raised an eyebrow, so Amanda clarified "my boss from my new job...didn't let me use the cellphone, every time I grabbed it, he pointed the sign in the wall 'not cellphones allowed' "

Betty a little shocked, but pleased about her _pseudo_-friend calmed her "its ok Amanda, thanks for coming" and returned the hug

But Amanda was entertained with something else..._or some__**one**__ else _Betty thought as she saw a tall green- eyed and toasted skin handsome men walking towards them.

He stopped in front of them and while he handled a hand to Betty he said while they shooked hands"you are Miss Betty Suarez I presume"

She petrified when she heard her name and after a few seconds said "yeah, its me"

In the mien time Amanda burned with jealousy _hey! I'm the pretty one here, he should know __**me, **__not __**her,**_she thought

The visitor said "first of all, sorry for your loss, I didn't know him, but Mirta talked about him all the time"

Betty's mouth and eyes wide opened at the name of her father's sister and she said "you know Mirta?"

"yes...I'm engaged to Maria, her daughter" Amanda contained a scream while he said that.

After a while added "I'm Pedro Gonzales by the way"

"well Pedro nice to meet you...and Congratulations!" Betty truly happy said

In that moment Daniel who had just hanged up the phone was watching the whole scene and he wasn't pleased at all..._who is that man, what is is he doing here and __**why**__ is Betty so emotioned?_ He thought

"Anyway..."Pedro continued "I know this is probably not the right time to discuss what I came here to...but as the wedding is next week, there is no other moment when I can do it...are you ok with this?"

Betty, curiosed about what this man come to talk about, a week before his wedding to a relative of hers so she said "yeah..its Ok if there is no other time..."

And they excused Amanda and went to the coffeehouse to talk

Leaving her alone, but not for a long time because Daniel curioused as hell approached almost instantly "hey Amanda, do you know who that man was?"

She turned to watch him, _**why**__ are you so interested?._she almost said, but instead answered_ "_some guy related to Betty, from Mexico I think"

At the sound of that, Daniel's mind started spinning around _**, Related?**what kind of relationship?...ok Daniel **why **are you so thrilled about this, she is Betty for god's sake not some girlfriend! Did I just said **girlfriend**?oK so now I'm definitely going to kill mom for putting some crazy ideas in my head about me **and** Betty!_

"Earth to Daniel!!...someone in there?!" Amanda said half joking causing him to wake up from his trance and said " I have to find mom, Christina is about to give birth, and where is Betty?" the second he said that he regretted it because he already knew the answer..._she is with that __**man**_...


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for not saying this before:  
Thanx for the reviews!=)**

Chapter 4

Betty walked out the coffeehouse confused about what to do about the proposition Pedro just made to her, sure it was a huge opportunity, she would have said yes in other circumstances.

But the same day her father died and her friend was about to give birth to her other friend's half-brother? It seemed wrong...so she had to _seriously_ think about it before telling anyone

With all this things running through her mind she didnt even looked where she was walking until she hited something...or _someone?_, and fell into the floor. When she looked up she saw that in fact it was someone, but not _just someone_, it was her friend who was handling his hand to help her up.

And looked pretty angry..."Where have you been!?, been looking all over for you!" he yelled at her, she was startled at the sight of his angry and _rather sexy,wow!did I just say __**sexy**__??_friend

While she was thinking that he continued "The twins where delivered two hours ago! Christina was asking about you almost every SECOND"_ ok Daniel you are seriously exagerating, CALM DOWN!_

A voice said in his head, but he was too angry to listen it, so he kept yelling "and where where you? Chitchatting with that guy!very nice of you!"

Betty was shocked at his reaction "Ok! Sorry if I lost track of time!" she yelled back, "Sorry if you don't like the idea of having a new addition to your family! But you don't have to take it back on me, you know! It has been a terrible day for me as well, you know!!" tears began to run in her face while she walked quickly away from Daniel and opened the first door that she spoted and closed it behind her, without even care on where she entered.

He remained in the hallway, silent and thinking..._great Daniel! Your suddenly out of nowhere jealousy took you too far!._

_A_fter a while he decided to apologize to her, opened the door where she entered an founded her sitting in the floor of a darken room, she didn't bother to turn on the lights and neither did he.

Her legs where glued to her chest and her face buried between her knees, and she was crying loudly without even trying to stop.

He sited near her and put a hand in her knee, causing her to raise her head, look at him and wipe away some tears.

He spoke first "sorry Betty, I had no right to talk to you like that! Is just that the baby arrived too fast an all of the sudden there where two of them, the other one was behind and didn't show up in the spectrography..."he began to say while he helped her with the hand to wipe the remaining tears, she stoped crying and listen to him, or at least try to, because the sensation of his hand in her cheek caused her to loose concentration...he continued "nor that I don't like babies is just that, Whilemina raising them gives me chills, and I was kind of"_...jealous...*ahem*.._. "worried about you..."

He remained silent, giving her the chance to say something...

After a while she spoke "its ok, its been a bad day for both of us...and I know I shouldn't have left like that...but I was curious..."_Betty stop! Not the right time to talk about __**that**__!_

"Curious...?" he said...

_too late! _She thought before answering... "Pedro..." _so that's __**his **__name!_ Spoke the voice of jealousy in his head"...he...said he wanted to make me a proposition..."

Daniel's face turned white..."what kind of _proposition_?"

Betty baited her lower lip, several times before answering "a work...proposition"

Before either of them had the chance to say something the door of the room opened abruptly...

it was Amanda "sorry...interrupting something?" said half teasing, half not quite jealous as she thought she could be _perhaps I'm getting over him _a voice in her head said and another one answered _It was about time, don't you think?_.

Daniel and Betty stood up instantly and simultaneously said "nope...Just talking", while they thought,with blushed faces... i_ts a good thing she didn't turned on the light_

Then Betty questioned "How is Christina?, and the babies?"

Amanda answered "They are fine...its Steward..."

Betty worried corrected and asked her instantly "Stuart? What about him?!"

"Well...he..."Started to say Amanda but then regretted and said "...you better talk to Christina, she is been asking for you anyway..."

Betty feeling bad for neglecting her friend, and also worried about her and her husband said "take me to her...please"Then followed Amanda without the courage of turning back to look to Daniel who was still shocked and _not pleased at all_ about that job offer that Betty got


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As soon as Betty opened the door Amanda pointed she started apologizing to Christina about her neglection "I'm so sorry Christina I lost track of time, how are you?,what happened?" while she talked she approached to the bed and hugged her friend who was crying

"Its ok, Betty...I'm fine,its Stuart...he saw the blood and panicked, thought I was in danger...because of him...and he..." at that moment her crying prevent her from continue speaking, after a while she calmed and added " said that he shouldn't have come, that if I hadn't knew of his sickness I could never agree to be Whilelmina surrogate and therefore wouldn't be dying...I told him that some blood it was normal...but he couldn't listen...he...he...killed himself"

Betty remained shocked, speechless as she hugged her crying friend, and she realized that it wasn't the right time for her to accept that job as good as it was, she couldn't leave one of her friends suffering, while the other was dealing with two new half-siblings, and her family there...she just couldn't.

---*

Two days later, after Stuart's funeral...

Betty released her friend Christina and turned to see her other friend, standing under a tree looking at her, with all the craziness of the arrangements of Stuart's funeral and her family trip to Mexico just to bury their parents and as they were there go to Pedro's wedding as a gratefulness for the offer, she didn't have an opportunity to tell him that she declined the offer.

She walked towards him and asked "hi, how are the babys?"

"they are quite well..." he answered and remained silent..._how do I say __**this**__?_thought while she nodded and smiled briefly

"so...Amanda told me more about the job offer you got...in _Mexico"_ a chill ran through his body

_Amanda...you and your big mouth_ thought before saying "oh! She did?"

"yeap...Editor in chief, right?"said Daniel thinking..._you should have gave her that job...you know she deserves it...if you weren't so possessive and offered her the same job she wouldn't have to leave so far..._

"ajam.." she answered while a voice in her mind said _why don't you just tell him you rejected it!?_

He remained silent and after considering it in his mind said "can I persuade you to stay...by offering you the same job..._here_? His hole body and soul pleaded..._Please say yes!!_

She stay wide mouth and eyes opened speechless, seconds later said "it depends...the offer will stand even after I say that...I already declined the other one...?"

He couldn't prevent himself and hugged her tightly while he thought _gezz Betty, you just like to torture me don't you?..._

He looked at her and still hugging her added "Of course it stands! You know you deserve it!"

Betty stayed shocked at his sudden reaction, but responded the hug. She had problems to stay focus on what he just said with his face at a distance _too close to be friends...but too far to be lovers...__**lovers**__?_they thought at the same time and released the otherone

They stay silent and blushed for a while, none of them spoke

"Erm...Daniel?" said Betty remembering that she still had to go to Mexico

He started panicking at the sound of her doubtful voice "you are not having second thoughts are you?"

"What?!...no...no" she said, he sighed and she continued "but I still have to go to Mexico..."

He interrupted immediately "why?"

"Hey! Relax!..." answered Betty at Daniel's sudden frightened face "Not permanently, just for a week or so..."

"_just _for a _week_?_" Daaniel...you are making a fool out of yourself dear...a week equals seven days no seven __**years**__! _Said a voice in his mind

"Is that a problem?...I mean I can start after I come back if you still want..."she started saying at her friend's worried question

"No...no..." he interrupted her, before she really started having second thoughts and decided to stay there _**permanently**_ "...no problem at all...this is me, Daniel...over reacting..."

After a while asked "so...when are you leaving?do you need...?"

"I already have the tickets..." interrupted Betty " We are leaving tonight"

Daniel was about to ask _**tonight?!**_ But this time he managed to apply self control and swallow that question and instead said "if you need a ride to the airport...just say the words"

"I'll keep that in mind..." she smiled and was going to walk away to meet her family when she turned and added "And...thanks...a lot for the offer...both of them" said smiling remembering that he also offered her the ride to the airport which she wasn't sure wherever she was going to accept it or not.

"Its a pleasure Betty..." he said smiling also_...its__** always**__ a pleasure_

He stood there alone, watching her walk away, while his heart was beating as fast as it never had before

His loneliness was interrupted when he heard a voice behind him saying"So...I was right..._her _name_ is_ Betty...isn't it?" he turned and answered"perhaps..."

At the sound of that, Claire Meade smiled


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I decided not to include Connor and Molly. **

**So as Meade Publications is CFO-less, Daniel and Wilhelmina are in charge of it**

Chapter 6

After spending several hours finishing the arrangements for their trip in silence, one of them spoke:"so...he offered you a job?" her sister nodded and Hilda went on "... _just_ a couple of days _after_ you told him someone made you _the same_ offer in _another country_?"

Betty looked at her and asked " what's that spouse to mean?!"

The elder Suarez answered " isn't that kind of odd to you?...I mean...he could have offered it before couldn't he?"

Not willing to argue with her sister, she rolled her eyes ,said " whatever...just finish packing...he is going to pick us in no time..."and before Hilda could say anything she went downstairs, asking herself the same question

*-*

They arrived at the airport in record time.

Daniel acted gentlemanly, carried their luggage and made the check-in for them.

Then they reached the part where only the passengers could pass, but before the Suarezes could say goodbye to him, he showed the lady, who according to Betty looked like a _model,_their boarding-pass and smiled at her,she let them pass...including _him_

As they walked through the door Betty looked at Daniel, thought _he is probably going to ask her out after the plane departures...if she doesn't get fired before...for letting pass a non-passenger.., _but simply teased" doubt that the 'Meade charm' can get you inside the airplane too..."and before he could say anything she added sarcastically "just be nice, and call her after the first date will you?" _is that __**jealousy **__Betty? Are __**you **__jealous of __**h**__**im**__? _a voice in her head said

_Is **that **what you think of me?_ he thought before deciding to pretend he hadn't heard what she added and teased back" I don't know about the 'Meade charm'...but I think this..." he showed her _his_ boarding-pass "...could help"

She remained startled and mortified..._you just made yourself look like a fool! Good job Betty! _

After few seconds she asked with surprise in her voice"you are coming?!"

Daniel answered"why are you so surprised?, you went to my father's funeral, the least that I can do is go to your fathers..."_besides...your father, your family and **you, **means more to me than my father did..._was about to add but decided not to

She, who pleased but still surprised continued asking "B-But, its in another country...w-what about your job?...with Wilhelmina taking care of the twins...who is going to take care of...the company?"

He simply said "my mother will..."and at Betty's more surprised look added "she ran a magazine a few months ago...she'll keep me posted,if something happens i'll be back in less than five hours"

_Wow...he really thought about this..._She thought while she gave him a 'thank you' hug before entering inside the airplane.

"Its going to be an interesting trip" Hilda whispered to her son at the sight of their faces while they hugged each other tightly, Justin nodded and said "Indeed" with a little smile on his face


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

They entered the airplane and for Betty's surprise Daniel followed them to the tourist class and sited next to her.

She teased him "no first class for you, Meade?"

_it wont be first class unless you are siting next to me_ he thought but instead grabbed her hand and teased back, kind of flirting "but if _I am_ on first class, aren't _you_?"

She blushed at his hand holding hers and raised her eyebrows not quite understanding what he meant by that

When she was about to change the subject abruptly pointing out a bird standing in one of the airplane wings, the pilot was telling the passengers to fasten their seatbelt so he released her hand.

Minutes after the plane departured they started talking about Betty's family in Mexico, she told him about her aunt Mirta, and all her relatives.

She also told him about the 'curandera' and how she met her grandmother, she deliberately omited the Henry visions she had in the desert, just because she was completely over him and didn't want Daniel to know how she was affected by him in that time, and also the_ talk _she had with her grandmother.

Betty had plenty of reasons to omit that, specially because she had never told him about why they parents leaved Mexico, and she wasn't completely sure if she wanted him to know or not.

Of course she trusted him, she thought, but she didn't want him to worry about something that happened ages ago...but that deep down still affected her, specially now that she was going where it all started to bury her parents.

So instead she told him about the language misunderstanding she had, by wanting to say that she was embarrassed and ended up saying she was _embarazada, _pregnant.

They laughed about that for a while, then he started talking about the twins, how would Wilhelmina raise them and stuff like that about his family

Later, when the conversation diminish and they remained silence, Betty pulled out her i-pod and said "want to hear some music?"she handled one of the earphones to him, who took it and put it in one of his ears

As she turned it on she said "they are all in Spanish for me to practice, hope you don't mind"

He just said "is not a problem, in fact I may learn some words"

The second the first song started and the singer started to sing about seduction, kisses and love amongst _other _stuff with Latin rithms. She thought _great, listening to seductive songs sited next to your pretty hot,yes...not arguing about that, friend...you must be out of your mind! Its a great thing that he doesn't understand a word..._but a voice in her mind said _he may not, though he could read your reactions to the song lyrics _andshe blushed as the singer sang

'procura coquetearme más y no reparo de lo que te haré'

So she said to herself, _just stare at the window close your eyes and pretend you are sleeping, _and so she did just when the singer sang

' procura no mirarme más y no sabrás de que te perderás'

_oh! great is the singer reading my mind or WHAT?!_ Was the last thing she thought before changing the song, praying that the next one wasn't also about seduction, she smiled as she heard the rithm of a rock song with lyrics not-love and seduction related.

Despite that, she kept pretending that she was sleeping.

*

He was listening to the song, not understanding a word of it, _well ok, maybe one _he thought as the singer sang 'procura seducirme...' _not the slightest idea of what 'procura' means...but 'seducirme' could mean **seduction? **Sounds similar..._he thought before looking at Betty who was to busy looking at a spot in the sit in front of her, he could _swear_ she blushed at the sound of that part of the song

When minutes later she changed the song into a rock one and closed her eyes he thought _how can she possibly sleep listening to a rock song?_

The answer came almost instantly when Betty totally catched by the lyrics of the song and oblivious of the fact that she was in a place full of people she started singing along with the song

At the sound of her voice in _Spanish _and_** singing **_he felt like the airplane had fallen into a sea of fire

_Im in hell _was the last thing he thought before putting the earphone that was in his ear in hers and went to the toilet to wash his suddenly red and sweated face, hoping that the water could also wash away the suddenly desire he had to kiss her.

/*/*/*/*/*

**Translations:**

**'procura coquetearme más y no reparo de lo que te haré'_ : _**

**try to flirt more and I not repair of what I will do to you**

**-**

**'procura no mirarme más y no sabrás de que te perderás'**

**try not to look at me anymore and you won't now what you are missing **

**/*/**

**A/N: _Procura_ is a song by Chichi Peralta**

**Here are the entire lyrics of the song (I'm too lazy to translate them, but if you know Spanish also, you will understand why Betty was so nervous about it ;) if anyone wants to listen to it and cannot find them in Internet, ask me and I e-mail it to you)**

_**Procura sedurcirme muy**_

_**despacio,**_

_**y no reparo de todo en el acto te hare.**_

_**Procura caminarme ya,**_

_**como ola del mar,**_

_**y y te aseguro que me hundo para siempre en tu rodar.**_

_**Quizas convenga que te alejes,**_

_**quizas**_

_**me domina la tentación,**_

_**de imaginar que estoy tan cerca de ti,**_

_**tan cerca sin poder resistir.**_

_**Coro**_

_**Procura coquetearme mas,**_

_**y no reparo de lo que te hare,**_

_**procura ser parte de mi,**_

_**y te aseguro que me hundo en ti, **_

_**procura no mirarme mas,**_

_**y no sabras la que te perderas,**_

_**es un dilema del que tu ni yo podemos escapar.--(biss)**_

_**Procura coquetearme mas,**_

_**y no reparo de lo que te hare,**_

_**procura ser parte de mi,**_

_**y te aseguro que me hundo en ti, **_

_**procura no mirarme mas,**_

_**y no sabras la que te perderas,**_

_**es un dilema del que tu ni yo podemos escapar**_

_**Procura mujer,que se aceleren mis latidos, procura mujer **_

_**procura mujer, y te aseguro que me hundo en ti, procura mujer**_

_**procura mujer, mi corazon se acelera, porque tu dia te llega, sabes que hay luna llena, procura mujer que se aceleren mis latidos, procura mujer**_

_**ir acercando tus labios,**_

_**coquetearme despacio,**_

_**procura mujer,que yo caiga en tus brazos,**_

_**procura mujer y te aseguro que me hundo en ti.. procura mujer**_

_**Procura mujer que se aceleren mis latidos, procura mujer**_

_**ir acercando tus labios,**_

_**coquetearme despacio,**_

_**procura mujer,que yo caiga en tus brazos,**_

_**procura mujer y te aseguro que me hundo en ti..**_

_**procura coquetearme mas,, y no reparo de lo que te hareeeee...**_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When he went to the toilet Hilda seated in his empty seat and remove the earphones of the still singing Betty, causing her to come back to reality abruptly, and asked her " what's going on between you two ?"

Betty looked at her sister startled "what do you mean?"

Hilda raised her eyebrows "come on! He was almost _eating_ _you_ with his eyes!"

At the sound of that Betty's cheeks turned red as deny it "_eating_? _He _eating _me_?" _with his __**gorgeous**__ blue eyes? Come on Hilda!_ She thought, then she laughed as she added pointing at the window "yeah! And I just saw a pig flying!"

At the sound of that a male laugh caused the Suarez sisters to jump in their seats, it was Daniel laughing while he teased "a _pig_ flying? And I missed it?"

Betty blushed red and stared at the window, Hilda laughed and started to stood up but he stopt her saying "no its ok, i'll sit next to Justin, he asked me to give him some fashion news, he wants to wear the 'top of the top' at the wedding on Friday "

He was walking down the hallway towards Justin, but as soon as Hilda finished to seat down he turned back and asked "Betty...I forgot to ask you..." as he was talking to her, she looked at him and he continued "how do you say 'Hi!,nice to meet you' in Spanish?"_god Daniel! You really are a masochist, aren't you?_he thought while he asked that, but deep down all he wanted was to listen to her speaking Spanish again.

She gave a _look_ to Hilda, that said ' told you so! ' before staring back at him answering " 'Hola, un placer conocerte' ", he felt a chill running through his hole body while he thanked her and seated next to Justin.

Betty simply said "ahem!" while she narrowed her eyes and stared at the window again, _haha! Eating me, yeah! Right! He probably spoted a Blondie, like the one at the airport,and he wanted to flirt with her! _And a voice in her head asked her..._since when do you care so much about who he flirts with?_

That question remained unanswered as the plane landed in Mexico International Airport.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Couple of hours later, they arrived at the Suarez house in Guadalajara.

Daniel was introduced to the family and to Betty's surprise he said "Hola! Un placer conocerte" to all of them.

She received a _look _from her sister, which she decided to ignore as she saluted her family as well

After the dinner, he was going to leave to a hotel, when Betty's and Hilda's aunt, Mirta, insisted he stayed there with them.

Betty, who didn't insisted, was no surprised when Hilda and Justin also insisted,

nor that she didn't want him to stay there, but in her mind was still vivid the conversation she had with her sister, and she wanted to clear her thoughts from the _impossible_ possibility that her friend might wanted to became _more_

Daniel tried to argue, he wanted to relax in an hotel room and try to figure out what where his feelings towards her, but the old lady was stubborn as her niece, was what he thought while he was leaded to his room at the end of the hallway.

*-*

The following day, when he woke up and went to the kitchen to prepare himself something to eat, he found the entire Suarez family already up, having breakfast together.

He had a sense of dejavu and remembered the other breakfast he share with Betty's family, and though it where in _completely different_ circumstances, the Familia Latina welcomed him like one of their own, and Daniel was happy about it..._wished my family where like this one_ he thought while Mirta Suarez asked him what did he wanted for breakfast

After they finished their breakfast, eaten silently, too tired to talk, Daniel, who wanted to thank the family in some way, started to clean up the table and wash the dishes, leaving the Suarezes, and specially Betty surprised

She couldn't prevent herself for smiling at him and telling him "I'm so glad you came"and then started to help him by drying the _pretty well_ cleaned dishes

He stared at her, watching her putting in the closets the dishes, not sure about what to answer.

Was about to continue cleaning up the kitchen when he saw her trying to reach one of the upper closets and laughed as he asked "need some help?"

She turned, looked at her tall friend and teased " well...if you weren't so selfish and lend me some of your centimeters..."

He laughed while he teased back "how many do you want?"

Betty looked at the tallest closet and continued teasing " enough to reach that one "

"Okey" he said while he approached, and to her surprise he grabbed her from her waist and lifted her until she reached the closet and put the remaining dishes there.

When he put her down on the floor, still grabbing her, they caught each others eyes and stare rather intensely for a while.

Until the bell rang making them broke eye contact

And as Betty said " I' should...get the door ", he said " I'll go unpack" and went to his room

While she walked towards the door, she saw that Hilda had already opened, and was rather pale staring at he male visitor

Betty not quite sure about what was going on asked her sister to introduce her to the man

Hilda was still speechless,so he introduced himself saying " I'm Hector Vasquez" when Betty heard the last name, her face turned white too, as she remembered what her father told her about her mother's first husband whose last name happened to be that..._could this man be related to __**him**_ she thought right before his words confirmed it "...I'm..._Ramiro_ Vasquez's _son_"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

He entered his assigned bedroom, and started unpacking when he heard the front door close, but nobody coming inside, _that's weird_ he thought.

So he left the luggage on his bed and went towards the front door, as he passed through the kitchen door he saw Mirta and Justin inside going through some papers, possibly documents for the funeral, thought before asking them where were Betty and Hilda

None of them knew, but told him that they possibly went to the graveyard to find a place to bury the Suarez matrimony.

He nodded and looked at them, they seem rather calm, considerating the circumstances that reunited them around the kitchen table.

Daniel admired their strength, and also Hilda's and Betty's, to maintain composure and carry on with the arrangements without bursting into tears or having nervous breakdowns

Thought he swore he heard some crying coming from the ladies' s bedroom and from Justin's as well, during the night before, but he had decided not to bring the subject to Betty or any other member of the family as he saw them rather well that morning during breakfast.

He sat down around the table and, after insisting them a lot, managed to help them with the documents.

-*

Morning passed rather quickly and time to lunch came, but Hilda and Betty where nowhere to be seen.

So they had lunch just the three of them, and as none of them spoke for a while, he attributed the silence to the fact that going trough the documents might have opened the wounds, he tried to make conversation by asking Mirta some words in Spanish, and made himself look like a buffoon trying to repeat them, with the hope of making them feel maybe a little better.

During the rest of the day the old lady amused him and Justin, with some pictures of her and her family. He saw little Ignacio and Mirta playing happily in the desert, while the lady between little sobs and tears reported anecdotes about them

As he saw the pictures, he remembered the anecdotes he share with his brother, now became sister back in the days when they where little.

To his own surprise he found himself telling them some of those, and he felt good as the young boy and the old lady slowly started to laugh more and more about them

That's how the night caught them, and there was still no sign about Betty and Hilda

They decided to start making dinner when they arrived, with their eyes red, sign that they where obviously crying

Hilda, after waving at Daniel and Mirta, called Justin to talk with him apart

Betty, who also waved them, went straight to the kitchen and started cooking

Leaving Mirta and Daniel giving each other surprised looks about the behavior of the Suarezes sisters


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Mirta and Daniel silently agree to follow a different sister with the hope of finding out what had happened.

She followed Hilda, while he followed Betty, who was in the kitchen cutting onions facing the window.

He approached silently from behind and hugged her waist from behind, before he could ask anything she wiped her tears and said "I'm fine"

He, knowing that she was lying, teased "of course you are, just came to see if you needed some help"

She stopped cutting, smiling slightly at her friend's reaction to her lie, put the knife down and said "could you finish cutting this for the salad?"

He nodded, released her, grabbed the knife, and gave her an inquiring look when she saw her leaving the kitchen

" I'm not hungry" she said as an answer for his silent question, and left Daniel in the kitchen, alone, cutting the onions

Seconds later, Betty walked out of the house, seated on the floor next to the door, while she watched the stars, and tears falled in her face, she remembered the events that happened early that day

******

_Hilda and Betty followed Hector Vasquez into an open yard in the town surroundings_

_While they walked, none of them said a single word as he told them to._

_After walking for a few hours he stopped walking and said "we can talk here"_

_The sisters nodded, waiting for him to start speaking first_

_And so he did, he started telling them that his father was alive when the Suarez came to Mexico to wait for Ignacio's visa._

_At the sound of that, the girls remained startled, but the shock was bigger, when Hector told them that Ramiro had obliged him to kill their father._

_Betty had to stop Hilda from hitting him, so he could continue speaking and so he did saying that as he remembered how his father treated him as a child, and how Ignacio hided him in the kitchen._

_He couldn't do it, so instead, he killed his own father._

_The girls remained speechless, not sure about what to say to him_

_He then said that he loved Rosa as his own mother, and that Betty looked like her._

_Hilda watched Betty with jealousy, but the younger sister was too shocked because of the story to notice._

_Chaos came, when he suggested that Hilda could be his half-sister, because he said that she kind of looked like his father._

_That took Betty out of her trance, but she couldn't prevent her sister to punch him in the face and start running away from them_

_So she followed her, leaving the bleeding Vasquez alone._

_She found Hilda after a while, seating in the floor and crying_

_Betty tried to reason with Hilda, who took Hector's words as a fact, by telling her that there were no proofs of that, and that it was probably false_

_But Hilda was determined to believe him, because she said she didn't assemble too much as their mother and that she didn't at all as their father, and also because Betty was always the one who got all the attention, the 'good one'_

_As Betty tried to refute her theory, Hilda cut her short by saying that it was probably because she was the daughter of an drunk, abuser asshole. _

_And that Hector's words only confirmed the hypothesis she elaborated the time Ignacio (she said his name, what infuriated Betty more) told them the truth about their departure from Mexico._

_Betty, hurted and angryed about Hilda's words, said that even if that was the case she was still her beloved sister, that their parents loved them both as daughters, treated them as equals, that Genes, DNA, Blood, didn't determined that._

_And that she was hoping that because of the suggestion, Hilda didn't forget the reason for they presence in Mexico and attended their parents funeral_

_The elder Suarez, even after Betty's words, was still angry and convinced she said "I'm attending our mother's funeral, and maybe accompany you to your's father funeral"_

******

A hand on her shoulders took her out of her thoughts, she turned her head and saw Daniel seated next to her

When she looked at him, he started wiping the tears on Betty's face, and gently but concerned asked "wanna talk about it?"

Even though she appreciated the gesture, she wasn't ready to talk yet, mostly because she was hurt by Hilda's words, she was still having troubles to understand how things had gotten so complicated in her family

Also she wasn't sure if she could tell him anyway, so she shook her head 'no'.

He opened his eyes, even more concerned than before, he really wanted to help her, but without knowing was difficult

Daniel was kind of hurted because he thought that she trusted him, well, the fact that she didn't want to talk in that particular moment didn't necessarily imply that, but he liked when she told him what troubled her, like when she was crying outside her apartment over that Jesse guy.

Of course this was probably ten times worse than that, and that's what concerned him the most, she was suffering and he felt helpless.

So he contented with keeping his arm on her shoulder and bring her closer, to show her that she could rely on him.

They stayed there silent, watching the stars, the night was so calm that he could hear her little sobs

After a while he asked her "you know you can count on me, right?"

She nodded, still speechless, then she stood up, and so did he.

Daniel started opening the door but froze when she saw her walking away from the house

"I'm going for a walk" she said, turning to leave

He close the door ready to join her

But she stopt him "its late, you should go inside, I'll be fine"

Daniel who wasn't so eager in leaving her walking alone in the desert, at night and specially not in that state, responded "its ok, I' don't mind"

Betty, started to get annoyed by his persistence said "I want to be ALONE!"

_geez!this is worst than I thought _he thought before saying, trying to stay calm "Ok, but try not to go too far"

Although she knew that he was really concerned about her she yelled "I'll go as far as **I **want to!"

And she walked away quickly from the house, without turning back.

He stood there with the latch in his hand watching her leave


End file.
